5/17/20 — I was wondering the same thing!  I hope that we can still have our reunion, but until they have an effective vaccine, I believe all travel will be questionable.  Hopefully that will occur by the beginning of the year, but no one really knows (except Trump the Almighty who says September!)   How do others feel?  I do not have any ideas though about how that affects our planning!
     Hope you are all bearing up well during these sequestered times.  I’m doing okay and feel like one of the lucky ones because I know I can still pay my bills and I have a lovely view from my front window where I sit too much of the time playing solitaire!  My family stops by for short distanced visits a couple of times a week (they brought be an In and Out Burger last night!) and 4 different friends come for porch cocktails  (not at the same time) as I have 2 chairs 8 feet apart on my porch!  They have been bringing their own, but we may get daring, and I’ll serve them!   I am most suffering from what I read the Dutch call Huidhonger – the craving for real hugs!  Cheers,  Kim

5/17/20 — Hi All — I’ve pretty much given up on the idea of global travel, certainly for the foreseeable future and pretty likely for the long term too.  In Dan and my case, it’s a pity, because we are  just now getting around to wanting to do more and having the time for it.
     However, the other night we happened to watch the old 1978 movie of Agatha Christie’s “Death on the Nile” starring Peter Ustinov along with Bette Davis, David Niven, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansberry, etc., as it had popped to the top of our Netflix list.   Turned out we both loved it, especially the many scenes of Egypt and its many treasures along the Nile.  I read later that the movie was filmed almost entirely “on location,”   While I know that many things must have changed there in the last 50 years, I have to believe that the movie still reflects the culture, the art/architecture, the people, and the general ambience of this unique area — and since I’ve always wanted to make that same boat trip, it turned out to be a very nice temporary substitute for actually booking a trip and going.
     That got me to wondering what other movies, old or new,  would give you that same “sense of place,” as well as offer an entertaining story and some fun and memorable characters to chew on for a bit during these Stay at Home times.  I couldn’t think of many that “checked all the boxes” but here are some that did — for me at least.  So, my question to all of you, especially those of you who have travelled the world over, what other movies fit this same mold that are still available for the small screen:  
     Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” (2011 — the first time that Woody filmed entireley on location)
     “Out of Africa” with Meryl Streep and a young Robert Redford  (1985 — depicting Kenya primarily)
     “The Talented Mr. Ripley”  with Matt Damon, Jude Law, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cate Blanchett, Gwyneth Petros (1999 — filmed entirely on locations in Italy, i.e. Positano, Rome, Venice, etc)
     “The Martian” also with Matt Damon (2015 — filmed in Jordan but surely, this is exactly what Mars must look like!!)
     Also just finished reading Lisa See’s latest book, “The Isle of the Sea Women,” for my book club, which was fascinating, not just the plot line but also for its history of Korea after WWII and into the Korean and Vietnam wars, something I knew little about.  It’s a very unusual story and one I can’t stop thinking about.  Look forward to hearing your thoughts on movies and books.  Judy K
Judy Marshall Kennedy

5/16/20 — Thank you Judy, I am walking up and down a schoolyard hill every day pretending it is a beautiful Italian staircase! I would like to add one film, The English Patient, which was filmed in Tunisia and Italy. At the time I had fun chasing down the exact locations especially in Tunisia which later became some of my favorite spots. Chris Hollister Hila
PS. Of course the words in Noor’s song speak to your feeling about travel. “I’ll see the world for you”

5/16/20 — We, too, have been having fun watching old films.  Thanks, Judy, for the suggestions.   We just watched “The Miracle Worker” and loved it all over again — I have never stopped loving Patty Duke and Ann Bancroft. But I think the one that remains on top for both of us that we saw recently is “On The Waterfront”. What an absolutely brilliant film.   We’ve loved all the ones you suggested, but neither of us has seen “Death on the Nile.”  Look forward to it. And Chris, we were just talking about finding and watching again “The English Patient” — loved that film.  Never connected you and Tunisia with it.  How fun for you.
     My personal all-time favorites will always be: “Big Country”, “The Graduate”, and “Shawshank Redemption”.  But then, as I list them I realize there are just so many really good films.  Aren’t we lucky to be able to sit and enjoy them again.  Now I just wish I could find the time to do all that you do, Judy.  Lordy, lordy, you are one busy women!  Chris and Kim, what did you think of the V-8 jam?  Any other V-8’s watch it?  Cheers and hugs,  Liz Webfoot